Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Postgame Quotes vs. Kansas State
September 28, 2019 | Cowboy Football
OSU Head Coach Mike Gundy
Opening statement
"We made some mistakes we need to clean up. Spencer needs to do a little bit better job of when he's scrambling, to just take off and run rather than throwing across his body. He's making adjustments. Overall, very good win for us against a very physical team. Enjoy this one tonight and back to work tomorrow."
On Safety Tre Sterling
"He's made a big change from last year to this year. Sometimes we see men that are just there and a year later they decide football is important to them and they play much better. He falls into that category. He's been a reliable player for us."
On progress with defense
"They get a little better each week. I think everybody knows that in most cases you have to stop the run first. It's not always easy, but you have to stop the run and rally to the pass. We've continued to improve each week and we've gotten a little bit better. Challenge next week will be a little bit different than it was this week. I like where we're at. I like our coaching, our schemes and I like that our players feel what we're trying to accomplish."
On defending the run
"I'll be honest with you. I was a little surprised we could be that strong versus the run against them. After I watched them play Mississippi State I was a little concerned. Mississippi State has got some big, strong guys and Kansas State handled them on both sides of the ball. Our guys played really well. We had a good scheme and our guys played low. They played under the pads. We tackled pretty well. I don't know that we missed maybe one or two tackles. We tackled really well and played disciplined football. When you talk about penalties, we had six for 60, one unsportsmanlike and then at the end of the game, a young guy got one. We were really good and disciplined from a penalty standpoint. We were excellent in special teams. I think it's the best we've been in kick coverage against them."
On linebackers
"In the middle of August there were some concerns based on not having many guys to line up in practice. Now, we've got a couple guys back and we've dropped Malcolm down. He's played aggressive and done well for us. Now, Devon just got back and we're excited about him being full speed in practice next week. Eleven has done a good job. Thirty-three gets in there and makes some plays so I'm pleased with them. They're doing a good job."
Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles
On stopping Kansas State's run offense
"The players really bought into the plan. The plan had to be a little different. I don't think our guys had ever seen an I-formation before. The coaches did a great job and we were 100 percent bought in. We knew we had to be physically tough to stop the run. We knew what happened last year. We held them to three points in the first half and then they drove the ball in the second half and we couldn't stop the run. It was a challenge to the players and they responded."
On adjusting defensive formations
"We put bigger bodies in. We had to change our scheme to fit their personnel and what they do. Getting that done in a week is not easy. You look at [Kansas State], they are tough, they run the ball well and they know what they are doing. We seemed to be in all the right places. Hats off to the players, they really bought into the scheme. It was different and they did a great job."
Offensive Coordinator Sean Gleeson
On Chuba Hubbard
"He was tremendous. It was one of those deals where you really didn't know how it was going to go because we had some guys up front who were out of place. Coach Dickey did a great job, it was a special week for him this week. Those guys performed great and Chuba is just a great player. We balanced out his carries a little bit and felt like he had a good workload. Spencer Sanders ran the ball a little bit too, so we're happy. We got some things to clean up as always in these type of games, but we haven't beaten these guys in a while. In the end, we played their brand of football to finish out the game so that made us feel good."
On big plays opening up the game
"They're methodical on offense. We just wanted to try to put in back-to-back possessions in where we could score and put it out of the reach. The [84-yard run by Hubbard] felt like we finally broke open the door a little bit. Obviously, we'd liked to punch more in, but when you can put it out of the distance a little. We still got to score a little more to be successful the rest of the year."
Ry Schneider
On starting the game out right
"We knew Kansas State was going to be a tough, physical team and we wanted to come out and prove to ourselves that we were tough as well. We wanted to be tougher."
On winning their first Big 12 game
"It means a lot. It's a relief and everything, but we still have to come back and go to work. We have another game next week and we really just have to keep rolling like we did tonight."
Looking forward to next week
"I'm sure we'll get in the film room. We'll have so much to improve on and get better at. I know that if we continue to run the ball really good every single week and just do that every week, I know we'll be really good."
Chuba Hubbard
Thoughts on the team after first Big 12 win
"It's a great feeling. I'm not too happy with the way that it wasn't too clean. We got the job done in the end. We were running the ball tough and the offensive line was doing their job. We were a physical team and I was happy about that. It feels good to win, I won't lie about that, but we need to fix our mistakes. We need to improve next week."
Where the team needs to step up
"We just need to be in the red zone and actually score. The score should have been a lot different than what it was; that's how I feel. Kansas State played great, they're a tough team and a great opponent. I'm glad that we got to go against them and I wish them all the best, but we just need to finish drives. We were moving the ball a lot, but we just weren't finishing. We need to work on that and then who knows what we can do."
How his big game helps push the team overall
"I just try to do my job. The offensive linemen did an amazing job. I say this to everybody, but anybody could have done what I did today. There were big holes everywhere. I'm thankful to be in this position, but I just have to go up from here."
Spencer Sanders
On starting hot early
"It sets a tone and an example of how we need to keep playing. It shows whether we're playing back to that kind of level, or if we're slacking or if we're playing even better. It gives everybody a tone."
Thoughts on getting a win over ranked Kansas State
"It's a great confidence booster. We have a lot of great guys making a lot of great plays. We're just going to keep going and keep working. We're not going to care about anything outside of football. We're going to take care of each other and do our thing."
How the run game helps his overall play
"As everybody knows, I probably didn't play to my top best. Having [Chuba Hubbard] do what he did today really helps me and picks me up. I'm happy we won. I have to get back in the film room and I have to keep getting better every day."
Tre Sterling
How the defense's impressive impact changes the team
"It gives us a lot of confidence. Kansas State is No. 24 in the nation and they're there for a reason. Doing what we did tonight shows us how disciplined and how tough we are, like Gundy preaches all the time. Hopefully we can continue that, we can build on that and we can learn from our mistakes tonight. We can build on this for the rest of the season."
Looking forward to next week on the road
"Texas Tech and Kansas State are two completely different offenses, but we can still take some key things away from here like our tackling. That was much better than I think it has been all season. We can take that into Texas Tech. We go against our offense every day, so we're ready for Tech's speed. It's two completely offenses, but we know we're ready for both and we can switch it up."
Carrying the momentum over after the lightning delay
"We all came in and preached to each other to stay ready and to stay focused. We were all in here stretching, on the rollers and doing different exercises. We were just staying warm and told each other to treat it like it's 0-0 again, like at the start of the game."
Amen Ogbongbemiga
On consistency throughout the game
"We just knew that we couldn't fall asleep. We knew we couldn't get distracted. We had to keep flying like we were in the first quarter and we all came together. Everybody did a great job from the safeties to the linebackers. We just came together and played as a unit."
On beating a ranked team
"It does a lot, but it does nothing. It's just another game, and we had to prepare for them like we would for anybody. We have to keep going and preparing going forward. I have a lot of confidence in the guys around me. I trust that they're going to keep working to get better."
Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman
Opening statement
"Congratulations to coach Gundy and Oklahoma State. They played a really good football game. We knew it was going to be a challenge coming in here and try to slow down something, whether it was the run game or the pass game. Our goal was to handle the tempo, not get frustrated if they make a play and hold them to field goals. We thought if we could win in the red zone we would have an opportunity, so I was pleased with that. We held them to 26 points, which is a good effort by our defense, but we couldn't get anything going on offense."
On Oklahoma State's cornerbacks
"Early in the game it seemed like we had some time, but nobody was getting open and then they close on the ball extremely well. They were going to sit and play a lot of man coverage, it didn't matter what formation they were going to sit and play man coverage and try to beat us."
On the delay
"I don't think the delay was any kind of factor. If anything, it probably gave us a chance to reset and do some things on defense to try and help slow them down."
On the emotions in the locker room after the game
"The kids care. They want to be great. I've said from day one, whatever you did last Saturday has no bearing on the next Saturday and I am a firm believer in that. We have to learn from our mistakes, clean up some things in all phases of the game. It's a marathon, not a sprint."
On Chuba Hubbard
He is a great football player. He can run through arm tackles, he gets his shoulders squared and then he'll out run you. He is a dynamite player."
Skylar Thompson
On what the team can learn from the game
"We have to be better at a lot of different phases. We didn't play very well tonight and we know that. We struggled on third downs and there's just a lot we could've done better. But I'll tell you what, our energy and our mindset in that locker room is great. There's nobody pointing fingers at anybody else. We just have to get back to the drawing board, get back to work tomorrow and get ready to go play Baylor. That's the thing about all this, you've got to have a short-term memory and move on. One moment doesn't define us. A win or a loss doesn't define us, it's how we respond to it that's going to define us. I promise you all I'm going to the lead this team the best I can in that aspect. I'm going to have the best week of practice that I've had all year this week; I'll lead that charge in keeping the energy up. I'll take all the ownership for that loss; put it all on me."
On WR Malik Knowles' absence
"It was unfortunate that Malik couldn't be out there with us tonight, but we're thinking long term with Malik. We needed to let him heal up a little bit. That definitely hurt us, he's a great player. We have to have that next-man-up mentality and find a way to make up for it. We struggled with not being able to run the ball. We kind of had our hands tied behind our backs on third down; seemed like we couldn't get a first down for a while. We just have to be better as a whole. We made a lot of simple mistakes tonight, but we played a good football team. Oklahoma State was well prepared and they came in and did some good things on defense that we weren't really ready for. Ultimately, through a win or a loss, I have fun playing this game with this team. I just want to do everything I can to help this team win and sometime you fall short. I promise that I'll be ready to go next week. I hate losing, if you can't tell, but I'll be ready to go."
Dalton Schoen
On he felt about the game
"You prepare two weeks for a game and then you come out and play like that, it definitely kind of hurts. You don't get any better complaining about it. You let that feeling drive you a little bit, but then you have to brush it off and move on to the next game. You can't dwell on it too much."
On the resolve of the team
"I think players and coaches across the board are all there for each other. Coach Klieman's big message was, 'We're still a good football team.' We didn't play the best game tonight. We weren't the best team on the field tonight and we didn't execute like we needed to. We didn't play a consistent game, but that doesn't mean we're not a good team."
On source of offensive struggles
"It's tough to pinpoint. I probably really won't know until I watch the film, but out there it just felt like nothing was working initially. It's hard, in my experience, to get something going offensively when you can't get into a rhythm. I know we struggled getting first downs early on in the game and I think that threw everyone off. It's just hard to make plays when you're not in a rhythm."
Wyatt Hubert
On holding Oklahoma State to 26 points
"I credit the defensive line. I think we did very well pressuring the quarterback and getting in the backfield. Holding Oklahoma State to 26 points was pretty good, especially with the offensive weapons that they have. It all comes down to giving up those big plays. Those plays can change momentum easily and it really hurts the defense. I think if we eliminate those big plays, we'll be fine."
On giving up big plays
"Some of those plays, we weren't in our fits and we weren't in our gaps. Obviously, that hurts you no matter who you're playing. Oklahoma State has some athletes on their team and some of it is just their guys having the ability to make those plays."
Opening statement
"We made some mistakes we need to clean up. Spencer needs to do a little bit better job of when he's scrambling, to just take off and run rather than throwing across his body. He's making adjustments. Overall, very good win for us against a very physical team. Enjoy this one tonight and back to work tomorrow."
On Safety Tre Sterling
"He's made a big change from last year to this year. Sometimes we see men that are just there and a year later they decide football is important to them and they play much better. He falls into that category. He's been a reliable player for us."
On progress with defense
"They get a little better each week. I think everybody knows that in most cases you have to stop the run first. It's not always easy, but you have to stop the run and rally to the pass. We've continued to improve each week and we've gotten a little bit better. Challenge next week will be a little bit different than it was this week. I like where we're at. I like our coaching, our schemes and I like that our players feel what we're trying to accomplish."
On defending the run
"I'll be honest with you. I was a little surprised we could be that strong versus the run against them. After I watched them play Mississippi State I was a little concerned. Mississippi State has got some big, strong guys and Kansas State handled them on both sides of the ball. Our guys played really well. We had a good scheme and our guys played low. They played under the pads. We tackled pretty well. I don't know that we missed maybe one or two tackles. We tackled really well and played disciplined football. When you talk about penalties, we had six for 60, one unsportsmanlike and then at the end of the game, a young guy got one. We were really good and disciplined from a penalty standpoint. We were excellent in special teams. I think it's the best we've been in kick coverage against them."
On linebackers
"In the middle of August there were some concerns based on not having many guys to line up in practice. Now, we've got a couple guys back and we've dropped Malcolm down. He's played aggressive and done well for us. Now, Devon just got back and we're excited about him being full speed in practice next week. Eleven has done a good job. Thirty-three gets in there and makes some plays so I'm pleased with them. They're doing a good job."
Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles
On stopping Kansas State's run offense
"The players really bought into the plan. The plan had to be a little different. I don't think our guys had ever seen an I-formation before. The coaches did a great job and we were 100 percent bought in. We knew we had to be physically tough to stop the run. We knew what happened last year. We held them to three points in the first half and then they drove the ball in the second half and we couldn't stop the run. It was a challenge to the players and they responded."
On adjusting defensive formations
"We put bigger bodies in. We had to change our scheme to fit their personnel and what they do. Getting that done in a week is not easy. You look at [Kansas State], they are tough, they run the ball well and they know what they are doing. We seemed to be in all the right places. Hats off to the players, they really bought into the scheme. It was different and they did a great job."
Offensive Coordinator Sean Gleeson
On Chuba Hubbard
"He was tremendous. It was one of those deals where you really didn't know how it was going to go because we had some guys up front who were out of place. Coach Dickey did a great job, it was a special week for him this week. Those guys performed great and Chuba is just a great player. We balanced out his carries a little bit and felt like he had a good workload. Spencer Sanders ran the ball a little bit too, so we're happy. We got some things to clean up as always in these type of games, but we haven't beaten these guys in a while. In the end, we played their brand of football to finish out the game so that made us feel good."
On big plays opening up the game
"They're methodical on offense. We just wanted to try to put in back-to-back possessions in where we could score and put it out of the reach. The [84-yard run by Hubbard] felt like we finally broke open the door a little bit. Obviously, we'd liked to punch more in, but when you can put it out of the distance a little. We still got to score a little more to be successful the rest of the year."
Ry Schneider
On starting the game out right
"We knew Kansas State was going to be a tough, physical team and we wanted to come out and prove to ourselves that we were tough as well. We wanted to be tougher."
On winning their first Big 12 game
"It means a lot. It's a relief and everything, but we still have to come back and go to work. We have another game next week and we really just have to keep rolling like we did tonight."
Looking forward to next week
"I'm sure we'll get in the film room. We'll have so much to improve on and get better at. I know that if we continue to run the ball really good every single week and just do that every week, I know we'll be really good."
Chuba Hubbard
Thoughts on the team after first Big 12 win
"It's a great feeling. I'm not too happy with the way that it wasn't too clean. We got the job done in the end. We were running the ball tough and the offensive line was doing their job. We were a physical team and I was happy about that. It feels good to win, I won't lie about that, but we need to fix our mistakes. We need to improve next week."
Where the team needs to step up
"We just need to be in the red zone and actually score. The score should have been a lot different than what it was; that's how I feel. Kansas State played great, they're a tough team and a great opponent. I'm glad that we got to go against them and I wish them all the best, but we just need to finish drives. We were moving the ball a lot, but we just weren't finishing. We need to work on that and then who knows what we can do."
How his big game helps push the team overall
"I just try to do my job. The offensive linemen did an amazing job. I say this to everybody, but anybody could have done what I did today. There were big holes everywhere. I'm thankful to be in this position, but I just have to go up from here."
Spencer Sanders
On starting hot early
"It sets a tone and an example of how we need to keep playing. It shows whether we're playing back to that kind of level, or if we're slacking or if we're playing even better. It gives everybody a tone."
Thoughts on getting a win over ranked Kansas State
"It's a great confidence booster. We have a lot of great guys making a lot of great plays. We're just going to keep going and keep working. We're not going to care about anything outside of football. We're going to take care of each other and do our thing."
How the run game helps his overall play
"As everybody knows, I probably didn't play to my top best. Having [Chuba Hubbard] do what he did today really helps me and picks me up. I'm happy we won. I have to get back in the film room and I have to keep getting better every day."
Tre Sterling
How the defense's impressive impact changes the team
"It gives us a lot of confidence. Kansas State is No. 24 in the nation and they're there for a reason. Doing what we did tonight shows us how disciplined and how tough we are, like Gundy preaches all the time. Hopefully we can continue that, we can build on that and we can learn from our mistakes tonight. We can build on this for the rest of the season."
Looking forward to next week on the road
"Texas Tech and Kansas State are two completely different offenses, but we can still take some key things away from here like our tackling. That was much better than I think it has been all season. We can take that into Texas Tech. We go against our offense every day, so we're ready for Tech's speed. It's two completely offenses, but we know we're ready for both and we can switch it up."
Carrying the momentum over after the lightning delay
"We all came in and preached to each other to stay ready and to stay focused. We were all in here stretching, on the rollers and doing different exercises. We were just staying warm and told each other to treat it like it's 0-0 again, like at the start of the game."
Amen Ogbongbemiga
On consistency throughout the game
"We just knew that we couldn't fall asleep. We knew we couldn't get distracted. We had to keep flying like we were in the first quarter and we all came together. Everybody did a great job from the safeties to the linebackers. We just came together and played as a unit."
On beating a ranked team
"It does a lot, but it does nothing. It's just another game, and we had to prepare for them like we would for anybody. We have to keep going and preparing going forward. I have a lot of confidence in the guys around me. I trust that they're going to keep working to get better."
Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman
Opening statement
"Congratulations to coach Gundy and Oklahoma State. They played a really good football game. We knew it was going to be a challenge coming in here and try to slow down something, whether it was the run game or the pass game. Our goal was to handle the tempo, not get frustrated if they make a play and hold them to field goals. We thought if we could win in the red zone we would have an opportunity, so I was pleased with that. We held them to 26 points, which is a good effort by our defense, but we couldn't get anything going on offense."
On Oklahoma State's cornerbacks
"Early in the game it seemed like we had some time, but nobody was getting open and then they close on the ball extremely well. They were going to sit and play a lot of man coverage, it didn't matter what formation they were going to sit and play man coverage and try to beat us."
On the delay
"I don't think the delay was any kind of factor. If anything, it probably gave us a chance to reset and do some things on defense to try and help slow them down."
On the emotions in the locker room after the game
"The kids care. They want to be great. I've said from day one, whatever you did last Saturday has no bearing on the next Saturday and I am a firm believer in that. We have to learn from our mistakes, clean up some things in all phases of the game. It's a marathon, not a sprint."
On Chuba Hubbard
He is a great football player. He can run through arm tackles, he gets his shoulders squared and then he'll out run you. He is a dynamite player."
Skylar Thompson
On what the team can learn from the game
"We have to be better at a lot of different phases. We didn't play very well tonight and we know that. We struggled on third downs and there's just a lot we could've done better. But I'll tell you what, our energy and our mindset in that locker room is great. There's nobody pointing fingers at anybody else. We just have to get back to the drawing board, get back to work tomorrow and get ready to go play Baylor. That's the thing about all this, you've got to have a short-term memory and move on. One moment doesn't define us. A win or a loss doesn't define us, it's how we respond to it that's going to define us. I promise you all I'm going to the lead this team the best I can in that aspect. I'm going to have the best week of practice that I've had all year this week; I'll lead that charge in keeping the energy up. I'll take all the ownership for that loss; put it all on me."
On WR Malik Knowles' absence
"It was unfortunate that Malik couldn't be out there with us tonight, but we're thinking long term with Malik. We needed to let him heal up a little bit. That definitely hurt us, he's a great player. We have to have that next-man-up mentality and find a way to make up for it. We struggled with not being able to run the ball. We kind of had our hands tied behind our backs on third down; seemed like we couldn't get a first down for a while. We just have to be better as a whole. We made a lot of simple mistakes tonight, but we played a good football team. Oklahoma State was well prepared and they came in and did some good things on defense that we weren't really ready for. Ultimately, through a win or a loss, I have fun playing this game with this team. I just want to do everything I can to help this team win and sometime you fall short. I promise that I'll be ready to go next week. I hate losing, if you can't tell, but I'll be ready to go."
Dalton Schoen
On he felt about the game
"You prepare two weeks for a game and then you come out and play like that, it definitely kind of hurts. You don't get any better complaining about it. You let that feeling drive you a little bit, but then you have to brush it off and move on to the next game. You can't dwell on it too much."
On the resolve of the team
"I think players and coaches across the board are all there for each other. Coach Klieman's big message was, 'We're still a good football team.' We didn't play the best game tonight. We weren't the best team on the field tonight and we didn't execute like we needed to. We didn't play a consistent game, but that doesn't mean we're not a good team."
On source of offensive struggles
"It's tough to pinpoint. I probably really won't know until I watch the film, but out there it just felt like nothing was working initially. It's hard, in my experience, to get something going offensively when you can't get into a rhythm. I know we struggled getting first downs early on in the game and I think that threw everyone off. It's just hard to make plays when you're not in a rhythm."
Wyatt Hubert
On holding Oklahoma State to 26 points
"I credit the defensive line. I think we did very well pressuring the quarterback and getting in the backfield. Holding Oklahoma State to 26 points was pretty good, especially with the offensive weapons that they have. It all comes down to giving up those big plays. Those plays can change momentum easily and it really hurts the defense. I think if we eliminate those big plays, we'll be fine."
On giving up big plays
"Some of those plays, we weren't in our fits and we weren't in our gaps. Obviously, that hurts you no matter who you're playing. Oklahoma State has some athletes on their team and some of it is just their guys having the ability to make those plays."
Players Mentioned
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